If It Wasn't for a Luck of the Draw
by zombiesgirl
Summary: it starts with JF marriage, and every other character will be in here. Don't worry I'm a JH girl at heart. i threw in some ED, although i do tend to toture them.
1. At Home With Jackie

Jackie smiled thinking of her husband. He was so sweet, alright a little pervy, but sweet. It's odd they had all called him Fez for so long, she hadn't even scribbled her name next to his. Having a last name so odd would have been a handicap and she had been forced to keep her own. That bit of news had made Donna smile proudly, but in all honesty, Jackie would like to have a part of husband attached permanently to her reputation. Something more personal that pretty. Jackie looked down at her engagement ring, she had vowed never to take it off when Fez had given it to her. And for the first few months she had been dazzled by it. By now she liked to hide the stone and pretend that it was a simple trinket, even she couldn't understand why.

They had moved to California after they were married, she needed to get away from Point Place, and had send resumes across the country, trying to get a job. The beach in San Diego was wonderful, but she had had to ignore the last three seasons of winter clothing, settling for the lighter California versions. Jackie sighed, a Wisconsin girl at heart, she missed the seasonal change. Plus California casual, what evil fashion-handicapped nitwit had started that atrocity?

She looked up at the kitchen clock, it was only four-thirty, which meant Fez wouldn't be home for a few more hours. He had quickly become too popular for San Diego and now made the daily two and half hour trek to Los Angeles. She had learned long ago to not give up on the opportunities she was given, and just around the time he asked her to move to LA, the station had asked her to co-anchor the local morning show. This meant a 4am wake up call, but it also meant her day ended before noon. She had been humbled enough to know that LA (or possible somewhere better) could come along in a few years time, but she had to take it one step at it time, well not one step at a time, she was still aware of her ability to wow people, but she had been to the large cities, there beautiful people were in greater numbers, and Jackie had developed this need to be seen for more than her looks, especially if she ever wanted to make it to the national circuit.

She sighed it was Tuesday which meant Fez would leave the salon early today to try and make it back early enough to spend a few hours with her. She had to go to bed early, every night, she needed her beauty rest and that meant bedtime was at 8. Not very romantic to make love then go to sleep while her husband got up to spend a few hours watching TV, or very often from sheer loneliness go out. He had a whole group of friends he saw as regularly as they had hung out with the old gang. Jackie had only met his friends once or twice.

Jackie went to check the mail, their street was the postman's last stop so it often came very late in the afternoon. Spring was coming up soon, and that meant wedding card season, between Jackie's fans inviting her, and Fez's celebrity clients, they spent almost every weekend in the summer going to weddings. Last year, they had been invited to so many, they had to attend, and they often went to them separately.

Sure enough, 3 large envelopes were neatly placed inside the mail box next to all the clutter, Jackie had hired an accountant to take care of all bills soon after she had accepted her position, and thus very little mail came directly to the house. She went to the little bureau she had set aside for herself after she had decided they couldn't afford to have any children till she was closer to obtaining her goal. Sitting behind the desk, she opened the wedding invitations calmly. There was a time she used to open them standing next to the mail box, but by now she was so used to receiving the cards, the art of filing them according to date and importance had taken over any joy.

Her heart leaped into her throat, as she saw the postmark on the envelope marked Madison. It had to be Donna, there was no one else she knew in Madison. But the joy was short lived, an invitation to a graduation party, it was just like Donna to use wedding invitation envelopes to invite her to a graduation. Without Jackie, Donna was once again slipping back into her completely unladylike habits.

Still, an excuse to go back to Wisconsin was not lost to her. She would have to get Fez to give Eric a good talking to about the right time to propose though. If they weren't engaged by the time she left Wisconsin, she would advice them to go their separate ways. Sudden commitment-phobia was not a good sign, and no matter how much her best friend could forgive Eric for his past mistakes, Jackie kept them like armor, ready to pounce, if ever Eric fouled up again. Forgiving once too many times was Jackie's pitfall and she wanted to make sure her best friend would at least be spared that pain. Moron.

Jackie sat back, "huh, that was a strong reaction for a situation she had given so little time to the last few weeks" she thought to herself. Donna always limited their communication when the end of term neared, she was simultaneously earning both her masters and doctorate, it was a new program they had introduced and Donna had jumped at the chance. Jackie had thought Donna was taking on too much, but Donna had discovered a new love for knowledge, she claimed to be "the only satisfied student she had met". Jackie smiled to herself, Eric had gotten that part right at least, he had let his education take a seat on the back burner, earning his degree slowly, mainly at night and supporting Donna, and her superior education.

She couldn't wait for Fez to come home to tell him they were going to have to turn down more than one wedding to make a small party in Wisconsin.


	2. Fez on the train

Fez sat in the train on his way home, at first he had commuted using his car but soon found out that the train a much more peaceful remedy. He often saw some of the same people, and had even made a few friends. Every day he left one car in Los Angeles, and picked up another in San Diego. That way he would be less tired when he finally got to see his wife.

Another commuter had once asked him why he didn't just move to Los Angeles and Fez had told him that his wife would be unhappy if she left the home she had created for them. When the other passenger had looked at him questioningly, Fez had broken down. He was married to the lovely co-anchor on the local morning news, and she loved working there, and wasn't willing to give it up. The commuter had laughed at him, "you're lying, and you could have at least picked someone who's not called Miss Burkhart on air by her counterpart". Fez then tried to explain that seeing as how his wife had been unable to take his last name for business reasons, she had refused to be called Mrs. Seeing as that was her mother's title. The stranger had laughed and shook his head as he walked away thinking of the strange little foreign man whose wife had a tendency of being advertised as single, daily, on air.

Nevertheless, Fez thought things will improve in the summer, he was invited to a very exclusive private party, filled with beautiful ladies. Jackie would feel at home there, and he might be able to convince a few of the lovely ladies to let him touch their hair. Fez held back a giggle. The gentlemen who had invited…

"You must come to the house sometime, I tell you what, we're having a large weekend long party, tons of connections, you can be my little gay wing man."

Fez "well I certainly would like to be gay, but tell me my handsome American friend, can I bring someone with me"

Gentleman "sure no problem, just try not to act like you're there together and everything should be fine. It's the first weekend in June, and everyone who's anyone will be there, "

It will work out perfectly, with any luck some producer will take a liking to Jackie and her hair. And Jackie will inform them that his dear Fezzy fixed it up for her, and he will be able to touch the most beautiful heads in the world. Yes, perfect. Jackie will finally see how important he is, and know that Fez can even get her roles in the movies. Jackie will love that, she will be appreciated around the world for her beauty.

The train halted, the announcer

"We are experiencing a delay, sorry folks this may be a while."

"Aye" Fez said out loud, he would now have to tell Jackie about the party over the phone, and that meant canceling an appointment so that he could put enough time aside to hear about what she would wear, and the shopping she had to do. Maybe he could wake her when he got home. She would forgive the second he told her why he woke her up. But she wouldn't be so forgiving the next morning, when the extra makeup she would need would mean waking up earlier. Fez took out the candy from his pockets, he better finish them before Jackie found out he had stuffed them in his new "Miami Vice" jacket.


	3. RSVP

Jackie turned on the news, commercial. She shrugged, and picked up the phone.

The overly friend 18-year-old intern would soon pick up, it would be the one girl who was younger than her that always kept an eye out for the phones. At least her name wasn't Samantha, although she looked a lot like her "Hello Lisa, this is Miss Burkhart, listen carefully, I want you to check on the 6:12 train for me." Jackie waited looking at the manicure she had given herself after receiving Donna's news, a small celebration of things to come.

"Yes I'm still her… alright thank you"

Jackie hung up, damn, I wanted to tell him. She placed the card carefully on the counter and wrote on a post-it next to it "surprise" drawing a heart around the word.

She put one plate back in the freezer and placed the other in the microwave. She took out of the fridge a few slices of cheese and a celery stalk, this had become her favorite dinner, and she could manage it on her own, only dirtying a knife once a month to slice up the latest block of cheese she got from the deli. She went into the living room, trying to look at a magazine, the phone caught her eye. She had to R.S.V.P.

"Oh hello Eric, I got the party invitation and I was just calling to"

Eric standing in his kitchen "Jackie, Donna's not here and the party was sort of my idea, it's a surprise. So…"

Jackie "Eric Forman you are your mother's son, who throws someone a surprise graduation party, and for that matter doesn't mention in the card that it's a surprise."

Eric sitting on the counter "Calm down, she-witch, I kept trying to call you and I know you sleep early so I tried every morning to find Fez and…"

Jackie "oh that's our fault we disconnect the phone in the bedroom from the time I go to sleep till Fez wakes up for work," on most nights we're never really asleep at the same time, so there rarely isn't someone to pick up."

Eric "Jackie, Jackie listen, everyone else got a phone call, you were the only one I sent a card, but anyhow, I know Donna would love to see you again. Can you…"

Jackie "Wouldn't miss it for the world, Fez will be jumping through hoops…"

Eric "Jackie, Jackie listen, I have to go the red engine has just entered Franklyn Museum."

Jackie "Is that nerd for Donna came home, cause I think I may have preferred Star Wars analogies."

Eric "Can't go there again, all those years of calling you Vader, makes you my father, one day I may get over that, but for now its still too confusing. Jackie? Jackie?"

Donna "was that Jackie?"

Eric "She hung up after I started talking about Star Wars"

Donna "What did she want?"

Eric "Oh who knows, I told you'd call her tomorrow, there's only so many days left before the doctor moves in with us and the game changes." Kisses her.

Donna " Oh yeah, what's the new game going to be?" Pecks him and then starts messing around with the food Eric has been cooking on the stove top.

Eric "that's between me and my doctor." He says softly, while looking at her ass as she bends down to get something out of the cabinet beneath the range.


	4. Fez gets home

Fez gets home.

It was a quarter to eight, Fez had 15 min to tell his wife and let her ramble until he would find himself being blamed for keeping her up.

Jackie hears the door open and close, she leaves behind her nightly beauty ritual and rushes downstairs.

Simultaneously "Fez" "Jackie"

"I've got great news." They stop and stare. "Ok I'll go first."

Jackie "I'll go first, we're going to back to Wisconsin!"

Fez "We're going to the bunny mansion"

Both "When? June. June?"

Jackie "Don't tell me you thought I would want to go to the Playboy Mansion"

Fez "Well you want us to move back to Wisconsin"

Jackie holding Fez's hands "Listen to me, I never said moving, we're going to a party in Wisconsin, Donna's graduating"

Fez "Nothing is too far to see Donna, as long as we go see the pretty ladies dressed as bunnies. Oh beautiful, beautiful bunnies"

Jackie let out a frustrated sigh, "Oh alright you can go lOOk at the bunnies, but no touching"

Fez claps his hands "Bunnies, I even made up a little song

Do not look for us on the third my dear.

For we shall not be here.

We shall hibbity hobbity, jimpty jumpty.

With the pretty soft little bunnies"

Jackie shook her head her husband's odd little song "Wait did you say the third?"

Fez nods happily

Jackie "I'm sorry Fez you can't go."

Fez "My pretty, why would you tell me such things?"

Jackie "You simply can't. That's the weekend we're going to Wisconsin."

Fez "But… my bunnies" very pitiful looking

Jackie "I perfected the pout long before you did, that wont work on me"

Fez "Damn, urg, but it's just a graduation, and at a bunny party I can make lots of connections"

Jackie "As long as I'm here, you wont be making connections of any kind"

Fez "Jackie, I'm tired of fighting, anyhow you should be sleeping its past 8, I'll come back soon, I'm going to try and forget the bunnies and their connections" Fez said while walking out the door

Jackie didn't even bother to say anything after him, she really did need the sleep, it was oddly tiring living with Fez, she was looking forward to break in Wisconsin more and more.


	5. bartender, another drink

Fez sat in a bar in San Diego, "The usual?" The bartender asked.

Fez "Yes. Aye. I will not be able to touch the hair of the goddesses"

The bartender sighed "Why not?"

Fez "Jackie wants to go back to Wisconsin"

Bartender "Well I always knew you would leave us someday, but I never thought you would go back to Wisconsin."

Fez "No no, my beautiful woman who brings me candy"

The bartender blushed and produced a bowl of candy.

"My wife wants to visit our friends one of them is finishing school"

bartender "Well, its not really any of my business, but if you don't want to go back just yet, why not lie to her."

Fez "No. no. I cannot do that. I cannot lie, she would know."

Bartender "Listen I've know you for three years, your wife has never been here, never looked for you, I know all your friends, she is never here when they are, exactly how much could your wife notice, plus everyone says a white lie once in a while"

Fez "But if she found out she may hold out her soft bits, although she has not let me near them for a long time now, and I have needs"

Bartender "As you often tell me, and what's my response?"

Fez "I must keep needs to myself, but I have needs"

The bartender sighed, she liked this odd little man, a lot more than he knew, but she couldn't compare with his wife. The smiling perky little thing who was on television every morning, that woman flirted with every man on the show, but she probably couldn't help it, probably was head cheerleader in high school. She continued to grumble jealously while Fez sat oblivious.

A few hours later, Fez returned home. He went up to his bedroom, his wife was asleep, she left a night light for him that meant she wasn't too anger. Although she was sleeping with a pillow at her back, Fez had spent hundreds of hours watching his wife sleep, he knew the position, and he knew all her positions. Whenever she suppressed her anger, she went back to him, she slept the way she used to when he held in their sleep. No matter what he did, or she did, or said. At night her body defied her, on most nights her body thought it was sleeping next to Hyde.


	6. june 3rd

June 3rd.

"Jackie, over here"

"Mrs. Forman, I wasn't expect you" Jackie said hugging her

Kitty "That's the idea, they haven't told me anything, they only invited me, its need to know" smiles big "I think my son thinks we're loose lipped."

Jackie's small laugh "Yea, oh I have so much to tell you… Mr. Forman?" as Kitty leads her towards him, Jackie hugs him.

Red doesn't hug back "Alright I got your bags, you know you're only going to be here for the weekend, right?"

Jackie smiles "Yeah, Eric told me so little about what was going to happen I had to bring a large range…"

Red "It's alright I'm sure the other dumbass isn't bringing much, you stand here and wait for him, I'll start piling up the car."

Kitty "Red, who else is coming?" both women look confused.

Red "A Kelso" pointing behind them.

Jackie turns and Kelso picks her up and hugs her

Jackie "Michael!"

Kelso "Jackie." Kelso goes to hug kitty.

Jackie looks around "Did you come alone?"

Kelso "Yeah, Betsy painted Donna a picture, but she's spending the weekend with my parents, you know I'm the only one who's given them a grandchild, I'm the favorite now. Kelso smiled proudly, Jackie smiled at him.

Kelso "So where's Fez?" Looking all around.

Jackie "He couldn't come, there was another late night taping, and there's quite a few actress who don't let anyone else touch their hair"

Kelso "Huh, I thought he worked in television"

Jackie "He does"

Kelso "This actress I dated told me most shows don't start taping for a couple of weeks, "

Jackie just smiled, she was well aware of when the fall season started taping, there were after all quite a few local shows in the same station as the news, who shared the small studio space, but she didn't feel like discussing marriage this weekend, unless it was Eric and Donna's.

The car pulled up to Eric and Donna's apartment. Eric met them outside,

Eric "I sent her on ahead, but I can't go with you, here's the tickets, I'll meet you there, you're pretty far from the podium, so she shouldn't notice you till she gets up there, she's only one of eight people getting two degrees so they've planned out this special ceremony for the graduates, so she wont take the stage till the very end, you may have to sit through a few hours worth of undergraduates. Come to think of it, you may want to show up a little late, here take my house keys, I've got to run." Eric had talked so fast, his friends and family just sort of stood there and stared at him pacing.

Kitty "I'm sure he'll be better later on today, it hasn't been easy keeping this from Donna." Kitty leads the way to the small one bedroom apartment.

An hour later that same day

"Forman, sorry about that man. I had to catch a later flight." Embracing each other.

Eric "No problem Hyde, but we're a little behind so we should get going."

Hyde "Look it's my fault you're so behind, and Donna might suspect something if she doesn't see you there."

Eric "Oh you don't know me, I have my little ways. Brooke is over there 'meeting an old friend' she should be running into Donna soon, she'll tell her she just saw me and was looking for her."

Hyde "Forman man, I can't believe I'm saying this but I think… nope I just can't do it." Laughs and slaps Forman on the back. "I think you've finally come along, although there's still a little time left for you to screw this up" grins

Thirty minutes later, at a small park with a couple of picnic tables.

Eric holding on to what looks like a badly built small garage door. "Right let's set this up quickly"

Hyde "Forman, man what is that thing?"

Eric "The band, they need a stage to play on."

Hyde "Man, you give them that thing, they'll band up and leave."

Eric "Well, what else can I do?"

Hyde "You go on, keep her distracted I'll deal with this."

Eric "I should be ok for a while still, Bob should be moving in on Donna any minute now."

Hyde "Alright, well go plug in this extension cord and I'll start hanging up the lights…" walking towards the trees surrounding the small park with a string of Christmas lights.

Forman "Where is that…"

The graduation audience, Eric comes running towards them.

"Hey guys, thanks for keeping a seat for me, now get out of here."

Kelso "What the hell?"

Red "We've been sitting here watching a stream of dumbasses walk across the stage, while you're mother looks through her camera and asks every time she sees long red hair if its Donna. And now you're asking us to leave, get me a cap, cause my foot is about to graduate in your ass."

Eric "I don't have time to argue, Donna ran into Brooke, and she now suspects that there's something going on, and I want to throw her off the path."

Jackie "I can't believe your screwing up already."

Kelso "BURN"

Red rolls his eyes "Oh let's just go, where now dumbass?"

Eric "The park next to my apartment" he says while sitting down in a seat and flipping through a program.


	7. surprise it's a park

The park

Kitty "Oh how romantic."

Red "There's a note."

'To do, bring food out, light candles, set up band arriving at 5:30, put up lights'

Everything is checked off except the food and band.

Kelso walks towards the apartment, as Hyde walks out carrying a large box. Kelso walks up to him,

Kelso "Hyde it's good to see you man"

Hyde "Kelso, take something." Handing him the only box he was carrying. "Here alone?" as they walk along to the park

Kelso "Nope, everyone, cept Fez that is. He's finally joined the club and started cheating on Jackie,"

Hyde "Which leaves Eric as the only non-member, hey Jackie" she had approached them.

She smiled wide "Steven!" jumping up and hugging him. Hyde's eyebrows rise. And he hugs her back.

Kitty "Steven?"

Hyde looks up "Mrs. Forman"

Hyde lets go of Jackie and walks towards Kitty as she walks towards him.

They hug.

Kitty "You cut your hair"

Hyde nods and takes a step towards Red, they shake hands and move into an embrace.

Kelso "Where should I put this?" still holding onto the large box.

Eric walks a blindfolded Donna towards the park. Donna has a large smile, "Eric where are you taking me?"

The band starts up Eric takes off the blindfold.

Everyone "Surprise." But you can barely hear them over the local band's music, Hyde gruffly "Cut it." And the teenagers stop mid chord.

Donna began to cry as everyone approached to hug her.

Kelso "..So at the end all the dogs followed me home, and I'm going to keep them." Finished telling his story.

Brooke "As long as when Betsy is there he doesn't let them in the house."

The gang are all sitting around one of the picnic tables, there's no food left on the table just half filled glasses of wine and a few bottles of beer.

Jackie jumps up. "Michael stop pinching me." She scotches closer to Hyde, Kelso grins at her, and Jackie attempts to take Hyde's seat on the end of the bench. Hyde won't give it up.

Jackie "Stop being an ass Steven, mines getting all blue." Hyde still won't give, and Jackie sits in his lap. A small congratulatory grin appears on his face. Donna notices and points it out to Eric. Hyde notices the pointing out and places Jackie back in her spot with his arm around her. Hyde frogs Kelso, "Kelso go pick on your own girlfriend." The territorial word is not lost on anyone, except Kelso.

Kelso "My girlfriend isn't here." He looks around the table and finally seems to remember Brooke is sitting on his left. "Hey baby"

The girls all react "Michael (or in the case of Donna 'Kelso') you're a pig."

Eric walks over to the band, a slow song starts up, and he walks over to Donna and takes her hand, gets on his knee.

"Donna in front of your father and my parents and all our good friends…"

Kelso "cept Fez."

Eric nods "except Fez will you do me the honor of being my wife?"

Kitty smiles, and everyone gets a sort of warm glow.

Donna "No, Eric. I can't believe you asked again and in front of everyone, I told you I'd let you know when I was ready the last half dozen times you asked." She walks off angrily.

They all stare after her, Eric looks heart-broken.

Jackie "I should go after her, (whispering) Steven look after him." Hyde gives her a small nod of acknowledgment.


	8. oww my eye

Jackie finds Donna pacing in her living room, sits with her on the couch.

Hyde sits with Eric on an empty picnic table.

Jackie "So, what's going on?"

Donna "Not much."

Hyde "Hey"

Eric "Hey"

Jackie stares at Donna.

Donna "I'm just getting a little tired of this predetermined life I'm supposed to lead."

Eric "This is not the way it was supposed to be."

Jackie "You have not lived 'that life', you changed it."

Hyde "Life stinks"

Jackie "But if you love him, be with him"

Hyde "Take what you can get"

Donna/Eric "It hasn't been ok for a while now, but I thought things we're about to change."

Eric "We'd finally get married"

Donna "I'd finally start my own life."

Hyde "You're such a little girl"

Donna "I'm no longer an aspiring little girl."

Jackie "And I don't think he thinks of it that way"

Donna "A part of me knows that, but a part of me thinks he may want to use marriage to fix our problems."

Eric "This would have fixed everything"

Jackie "Like what?" Hyde just stares.

Donna "We rarely saw each other while I was at school. We had made our own friends, we saw each other awake an hour a day, and when we did, we never discussed anything."

Jackie "It was like you were already married" with a sad sort of smile. Donna raises an eyebrow inquisitively. Jackie doesn't say anything.

Donna "We haven't even had sex for 8 months."

Jackie "It really is like you're married."

Donna "You too?" Jackie nods. Kelso pops up.

Kelso "I couldn't help but overhear, if you ladies are in need of my services…" both of them frog him. "Ow, my eye" Kelso leaves in a huff but soon a smile grows on his face and he runs back to where Eric and Hyde are sitting.

Eric "We haven't had sex for a while."

Kelso reaching them "Eight months." grins.

Hyde "That happens"

Kelso "Ohh! Nobody is getting any. Burns all around."

They both frog him, "Ow, my other eye, man I can't even see straight." He laughs.

Eric "Alright get in the car, we should have a doctor look at that."

Kelso "Or you could let Dr. Donna give me a full examination." Grins.

The parents have approached by now, Red "She's not that kind of doctor dumbass,"

Kitty "We'll take him, you two finish your talk."

Kelso smiles at the few people who have yet to hit him that day.

The guys sit back down, Brooke approaches, "I'm not taking Michael to the hospital, he'll get ideas."

Hyde "Nah, he'll just grope you."

Brooke "That's the idea he'll get, so what are you going to do?"

Eric "I should go talk to her." Looking towards the house.

Hyde "Wrong answer"

Eric "We have to work this out."

Brooke "She has to work it out, you have to give her space, tell her that, anything else and you may lose her"

Hyde provides no arguments, Eric sighs.

Donna "So marriage isn't all it's cracked up to be, aren't you supposed to be talking me into marrying him?"

Jackie "Normally I would be, but I'm starting to think there's a reason people wait till they're sure."

Donna "It's not ok?"  
Jackie "He's cheating, I can't prove it, but I know he is."

Donna "Jackie, I'm sorry. God men are pigs."

Jackie "And we women have to bond together." Looks at Donna with an odd look on her face, "Donna have you found a new job yet?"

Donna "Nope, although I was thinking of going to the community college and maybe trying to get a job teaching a few classes."

Jackie "Why don't you come stay with me for a while?' they smile at each other.

Eric walks in,

Donna "You and Hyde done talking?" Eric nods. "Good, now you can both sleep out here on the pull out couch, Jackie and I are taking the bedroom." Hyde who has just walked in, grins.

Eric "Don't smile too soon my friend, you're with me."

Hyde's smile fades.


	9. natural zen

The middle of the night,

Eric "Leia, Leia you can't be my sister I saved you from the…" screams and starts to move around like he's trying to run while lying down.

Hyde "Screw this." He gets up and walks to the bedroom, examines the girls, Jackie's sleeping position is oddly familiar, sighs. He climbs in between them, looks at Jackie on his left then Donna on his right. "I sleep on the right." He pushes Donna off the bed.

Donna "What the hell?"

Hyde "Forman's crying"

Donna half asleep goes out into the hall, Hyde makes himself comfortable on the far right. Seems to have a second thought, then gets up and locks the door. Walking back, he stares down at her for a few seconds, he gets into bed right next to her this time and holds her the way he used to, she falls into place perfectly.

Jackie still asleep "Steven" turns towards him and starts to kiss around his facial hair, somehow even in her sleep, having not done this in years, she knows exactly where it is on his face.

Hyde enjoys it at first then realizes the position they have found themselves in and starts to back away. Jackie opens her eyes and instead of shock on her face there's almost a challenge, like she's saying 'where do you think you're running off to?'

Hyde "Jackie I don't think we should…"

Jackie places her hand over his heart and just stares at him. She doesn't say a thing, she just looks, oddly there isn't a look of desire on her face, it's more like they're smiling. It's not sex that wants, it's him. He kisses her gently and strokes her back, and they stare at each other. Soon the body heat between them starts to take over their minds, and they restrain themselves, but they can't help but touch each other, it's awkward yet familiar. He grazes her breast through her shirt and she shudders with the tingle that passes through her. He moves his hand around to her back again and moves it down around the curve of her spine when it reaches her silk pajama shorts his hand goes in, touching her soft skin. Around her ass, over her thigh and between her legs. He brushes up against her sex, she's wet. Jackie retaliates, she pushes off a bit of his boxers and feels his right hip bone, right around the point his legs get hairy. This tickles him, always has, she moves her hand forward, but Hyde knows this game, she's played it before and if he lets her she will torture him. He takes over before she can, rips off her top, lays her on her back and starts to play with her nipples using his tongue. But like an old chess opponent, Jackie knows how this game will end if he gets his way, so she lowers his boxers and starts to scratch below his navel. Hyde is distracted just as she planned and she dips her finger into her own core and touches the base of his penis with it. Hyde smiles, this would have been his breaking point a few years ago. But the game has changed, Hyde calmly starts to play with her nipples again, meanwhile using one hand to lower her bottoms, Jackie fully prepared for this move, attempts to push him off his balance and get on top. Her plan fails, he sees the spark in her eye as she thinks of it and he lightly bites her. She squeals, she tries to think of something else, but is soon lost in the moment, she arches her back, moves her hair to above her head leaving her arms above her. Hyde grins, she had succumbed easily, a rarity with Jackie. Normally this would mean he would have pick of positions. But for the first time in years he's with a woman he wants to please slowly, seeing and feeling every bit of her. His adventurous side is left behind and he enters her slowly and her reaction isn't the usual yelp he gets but a soft jolt. She looks up at him, the unusually slow pace brings her back, for a second, her eyes smile again, but soon she begins to purr as lust takes over, his pace quickens and she comes (she always does with him never less than twice.)

They lay there, she drapes her body over him, neither asleep nor really awake, a natural Zen takes over them.


	10. rubber duckies

Eric wakes up in the morning in the bathtub, "Hyde, what the hell, you put me in the tub, that's not… you're not Hyde." Seeing Donna in the sofa bed.

Donna "No shit and you're not Luke Skywalker."

Eric "What happened last night?"

Donna "Hyde locked me out of the room last night."

Eric "So how did I end up in the tub?"

Donna "Well I wasn't about to share a bed with you, so I said, 'Eric honey time to take a bubble bath, I put all your dolls in the tub.' And you went rushing in there saying 'mom, they're action figures.'"

Hyde walks out of the bedroom, and snickers "You put Forman in the tub, nice one Pinciotti."

Jackie walks out "yeah but now you've got to clean the tub before we can take any showers. Come on Eric be nice to your guests." Eric looks to argue, but has a lack of supporters in the room. He trots off.

Hyde "So, breakfast anyone?" Kelso barges in.

Kelso "Alright, pancakes."

The gang spends the day hanging out together, Hyde and Jackie exchange a few glances throughout the day, but then everyone starts reminiscing about the good old days, and once Fez is mentioned, they come to a silent understanding and keep their distance.

That night Donna stays with Jackie in the hotel all the others had reservations in. Hyde who was helping with the secret engagement party that would have taken place the second night, is stuck, staying as originally planned with Eric.

Hyde "Foreman, be a man, and quite your crying. She may come back someday."

Eric "I'm not crying, and she may come back? You mean you think there's a chance she never does?"

Hyde "Alright you stay out here, I'm going to sleep in your bed again."

Five minutes later, Eric knocks on Hyde's door, "Hyde I think I have a plan that may work, Hyde you in there?" knock, knock, knock.

Hyde walks out. "I'm going out, maybe I can crash with the others. No wait."


	11. A call in the dark

The phone rings in Jackie and Donna's room, its dark.

Donna "Hello."

Receptionist "Hi, listen, there's gentleman here, he claims he knows you and wants you to talk to you."

Donna "Well tell him I don't want to talk to him."

Receptionist "I'm sorry I don't think he'll listen to me."

Donna gets a curious look on her face.

Downstairs, Hyde "Thanks man, as soon as she gets her, say I was that skinny boy by the bar."

Upstairs, there's a knock on the door.

Jackie "Donna, didn't you take a key with you." Opens the door. "Steven."

Hyde walks in and kisses hard "I couldn't sleep knowing you were so close"

Jackie "Oh, Steven, that's so…" he cuts her off kissing her and lifting her off the ground. He closes the door behind him and bolts it.

Jackie "Steven, wait one night they're too involved with their own problems to notice, but two?"

Hyde "Don't worry about it, I instructed Foreman to try and work it out over my stash, it's good stuff, it will take them half the night to come down and by then most people have to sleep it off. They should be out till noon."

Jackie tried to protest, the flight Donna and her had tomorrow was taking off at noon, but she lost herself in the moment, they could always take a later flight.

Jackie snuck out the next morning, goodbyes were hard in general, but saying goodbye to Steven always left her half heart broken, and Jackie needed to be stronger than that today. She wasn't being a good friend to Donna and if they were going to have a few months with her to figure out what Donna really wanted in life, then she had to be more on top of things than usual.

Hyde woke up while Jackie was packing, at first he thought he should help then remembered Jackie always had a reason. Maybe she wanted to keep this weekend as just that, one weekend. He had no right to ask her for more.

They all said goodbye at the airport. Donna volunteered to walk Jackie to her gate, Hyde was holding onto the note he would give Foreman once they got to the gate from which Hyde was returning to New York. Donna hadn't told him when to hand Foreman the note, but he figured the later the better. At least for himself. This would be hard for Foreman, so Hyde had given Kelso what was left of his stash and told him to make sure Foreman went on a nice trip before everything could really sink in. Chicks could really mess a guy up.


	12. little red hearts

Life couldn't get better for Jackie the first few weeks. The depression she normal sunk into after leaving Hyde was spared by the presence of Donna. Sure Fez had taken an apartment in LA and they now saw each other even less, but there was someone at home while she was there. Donna had gotten a job at the local community college and had on average three classes a day so she was done by the early afternoon. They spent their afternoons shopping (when Jackie had her way) and at readings (when Donna got hers). Their weekends were filled with weddings and Jackie could finally RSVP for two and be sure two people were going to show up.

Three weeks after returning from their trip, they were fully settled into their new lifestyle, when Jackie started filling her calendar with the next batch of weddings they would be attending, she realized something was missing. The little red hearts she filled in once every four weeks. Crap.

She made an appointment with the doctor, and then called her husband.

"Fez, honey, I haven't seen you in such a long time, couldn't you come home a little early, maybe on Friday or something?"

Fez smiled at all the lovely ladies in his salon, laughed a little nervously "I'll try to squeeze you in, one second, (he put his hand on the mouth piece) Lize honey, who do I have set up on Friday afternoon?"

Lize playing with her gum smiled "Only me".

Fez laughed nervously, and removed his hand "Well cancel that, I have to go to San Diego that night."

Jackie "Thank you Fezzy."

Fez "Yes, my dear, I must leave you now I have a very upset woman here just now."

Jackie sighed. "Alright, I'll see you in a few days."

Fez "I am sorry my Mona Lisa, I will make it up to you tonight," kissing her hair. Lize took out her gum and pecked his lips.

Fez smiled.

Jackie was pregnant, and somehow, even though it could easily hurt her career, she beamed. But a morning news anchor with morning sickness, this couldn't be good. The only problem was she wasn't sure she could get herself to sleep with Fez. Maybe there had been an underlying reason for their abstinence?

She would have to trick him. Friday night she would fight with him, not enough for him not to come home but enough for him to get drunk…

Friday night Fez stumbled into his bedroom, his wife was waiting for him the second he lay down on their bed he fell asleep, Jackie stripped him down and then stripped herself. She scattered his clothes around the room, took a sleeping pill and fell asleep quickly.

The next morning she woke up to Fez shaking her.

Fez "Look at this room, I think we have been robbed, get Donna to check the rest of the house" he said pulling the covers over himself.

Jackie "Fez, honey we weren't robbed, you tired me out last night." She smiled the luring smile.

Fez looked her shocked and finally asked "Was I good?"

Jackie smiled her triumphant smile "Oh yes, foreign rocket of love."

Fez took this rather well. "Well, let us go out to celebrate for breakfast, providing I can convince Maggie to take my first few appointments."

Jackie "No Fezzy, Donna and I will go out, you spoiled me enough last night." She smiled at him.

Fez "Perhaps you are right, I have a wedding party's bridesmaids, and they are not used to be fondled by a woman."

While Fez imagined women fondling each other, Jackie put on her robe and went downstairs. The smell of breakfast greeted her.

Jackie "Donna, pancakes, what's the occasion?"

Donna "Next week the dumbasses are turning in their term papers, and I have a feeling I wont be much fun to be around, so I'm trying to get on your good side.

Jackie "oh Donna I'm used to your lumberjack ways. But if you really want to get on my good side you'll let my makeup artist who's coming over for lunch today, help you a bit."

Donna shock her head "Sure why not, as long as they don't touch my hair."

Jackie "But you need more body, you can't have enough body." Putting a huge piece of pancake in her mouth.

Jackie had planned on telling Fez she was pregnant a few weeks later, but they were both so busy, and she somehow liked keeping this a little secret, she had even thought of asking Donna for Hyde's number. But that actually scared her, what if Hyde told her to get lost?


	13. Lucky 13

Jackie beamed at herself in the mirror in the morning, she was almost four months along and still not showing, her perfect body, had blessed her with almost no morning sickness. Although her doctor didn't like the fact that she hadn't had any, she assured him, there was nothing wrong, she was just perfect and so was her baby.

She rushed off to work, there were plenty of more mirrors she could look into at work. She rushed all the way there.

The morning started the way it always did she flirted with her co-anchor, who seemed to enjoy calling her Miss more than he should. She assured herself as soon as she had the baby she was going to get calls to audition for bigger and better stations. Her co-anchor started to cover an absurdly long story on local baby ducks when she felt a strong piercing pain. She was cramping, it was sort of a funny feeling, like she was getting her period, she looked down, a small spot of blood appeared on her white skirt.

Co-anchor "To you Miss Burkhart…"

The camera cut to Jackie, she stood up to the careful viewer the spot of blood could be seen. "Steven" Jackie said in a whispered cry. She fell over, one camera man ran over, another one ran over with a hand held camera covering a fallen Jackie with the co-anchor and cameraman kneeling next to her and the blood stain spreading.

Lisa "Cut to the hand held"

The TV showed Jackie on the floor for just a second, before the producer could respond "No, cut to Tina in the field." Tina stutters for a second and then started her story, a small earpiece told her to draw the story out.

Donna in the teacher's lounge caught the whole thing, the blood, the fainting and the Steven. It didn't take her long to respond, she called the station, she had been there for a few tapings so when the producer picked up the phone, he knew better than to refuse her the name of the hospital.

In a few hours they would confirm a miscarriage. The second, the nurse utter the word, Donna understood why Jackie had said Hyde's name. Jackie would need Hyde to help her get over this, she couldn't allow her friend to carry this with her.

After Donna had taken Jackie home and put her in bed, she called the station to tell them, that it may be up to a couple of weeks before Jackie could make it back again. Donna shifted through her mail, she finally came across the letter she was looking for. It was a job interview for a position in Columbia. It was only an old professor's assistant so she had originally discarded it, but the summer session's grades were due in a few days and Jackie needed a trip to New York


	14. Good day

Convincing Jackie to go along with her for an extended weekend was easier said than done. Jackie had protested it was too long to take off work, but Donna told her what she needed most was a shopping spree, Jackie couldn't argue with that. But there was something in the pit of her stomach, she was scared to see Hyde again. She had failed him, and she could never tell him that, but she had lost the greatest thing he had ever given her. Donna of course was oblivious to this, and would probably have her go on a feminine empowerment seminar for thinking it.

Jackie "I'm not telling Fez, if I couldn't tell him I was pregnant, how am I going to find the courage to tell him I lost it. Donna he'll leave."

Donna "Jackie, I know what's going on, you know what's going on. Fez loves you, I don't doubt that, although you may, but he left a long time ago."

Jackie cries "Donna don't say things like that."

Donna "If I could help it, I wouldn't, but it's obvious," Donna bit her tongue. Sighed. "I know why he left, you left him, you loved each other and you spent years trying to make it more than it was, but you've always acted on the fact that you wanted someone to be there for you. You don't need Fez, you don't need me, you need to realize all you are and all you've become. For heaven sakes Jackie Burkhart lives in a different city than her husband, and unlike your mother, you don't do it for attention you do because you want to be someone, and by living here you can get somewhere on your own. Jackie I'm proud of you, Fez is probably proud of you, but your marriage isn't really much of a marriage. It's a friendship as soon as you face that, you can tell him anything."

Jackie sighed, "Alright, call him, tell I have to talk to him, no wait, we have the day off, do you think you could drive all the way to LA?"

Donna "Let's go." She smiled at her little friend. It was probably too soon for a car trip, but Fez needed to know.

Fez was surprised to see his exhausted looking wife walk into the salon, he took her to the back where the shampoo room was.

Jackie "Fez, this is very hard to say, I love you, I have since we were teenagers, but" Fez lead her to a seat, she looked so tired. He wondered if she always looked like this and he had failed to notice. "Our marriage, it's not really a marriage. I don't want to hurt you, but I've known all along about the girls on the side, and well…" Jackie started to cry a bit. Fez held her, she continued. "When I went back to Wisconsin in June, Steven was there and…"

Fez sighed closed his eyes, "Ok tell me, I wont get leave the room till you are done."

Jackie "I didn't mean to, it just happened, up until that I believed you were the last man I would ever love. But… Steven is Steven."

Fez stood up cracked his neck and thought of saying good day. Jackie stopped him.

Jackie looked down and almost whispered "There's more, I fainted during work today, I had a miscarriage, it was Steven's."

Fez's eyes watered, "So you… do you… are you leaving me?"

Jackie nodded, "I'm not leaving you for him, but I don't think it's fair to you or whoever it is that you're attached to or me if we stay together.

Fez nodded, and looked away "Jackie, my princess, get out."

Jackie "But Fez"

Fez calmly "I said out"

Fez sighed put his head in his hands and whispered, "She thought I had cheated…"


	15. Ciao Bella

Jackie got a call from her agent, he had already sent her a bouquet of flowers, and Jackie wasn't expecting anything beyond that, after all, he had all but ignored her the last few years.

Agent "Jackie my dear, great news, I lost my greatest talent which means I have more time to spend on you."

Donna "Jackie, there's a phone call for you."

Agent "Anyhow, I going to try and spite her and get you, my prettiest client, a better gig. How do you feel about large cities?"

Jackie who had no idea who 'her' was thought for a couple of seconds, a change would be good, she had planned on moving on after the baby came, but since that was no longer in the cards, perhaps the sooner the better.

Agent "Shall I take silence as a yes. I think I will. Next week I need to go in for an audition."

Jackie "It will have to be the week after, I'm going to be in New York next."

Agent "I know, but how do you? Anyhow my assistant will send you all the information and we're going to post the studio a tape of your local work. But you'll nail it, don't give it a second thought, oh and lose five pounds."

Jackie "Five pounds in a week?"

Agent "Well it will help your chances" Donna standing next to her rolls her eyes. "Alright I have to run. Have your assistant, call my assistant, we'll have lunch. Ciao bella."

Jackie "Ciao."

Donna "If you lose five pounds you're going to look like a stick figure. So what did he want?"

Jackie 'I'm going to audition in New York, what are the chances?"

Donna smiled to herself, "Pretty good when your best friend calls to inform a prestigious client that her agent is thinking of dropping her and concentrating on you."

Jackie "Donna, we have to get you to New York all this sunshine is getting to your head." They laugh.

New York

Jackie "Oh my god, the fashion here is so much more sophisticated, we have to go shopping today, we look like we're from Wisconsin or something."

Donna "Jackie we are from Wisconsin."

Jackie "I know that Don-na, but we don't have to lOOk like we're from there. If it weren't for a few personal items I would suggest we just leave our luggage on the conveyer belt."

Donna "Jackie, focus, we still have to find our way through New York."

Jackie "Ok, so where is this place?"

Donna "I'm not really sure, but there's a good chance they sent someone to pick us up."

Jackie "Oh how classy. Courier, that bag is mine."

Foreign guy "Lady for the last fucking time, I am not a courier."

Jackie "Donna could you?" she turns to find her and finds she's already placing a bag on their cart. She looks around and sees a guy holding a sign that says 'Miss Pinciotti' "Oh Donna, this way. The man holding the sign could have been better dressed. "Hello, I'm Miss Burkhart, and Miss Pinciotti is over there manhandling our baggage. Could you lend her a hand." The guy grumbles along and takes the bags from Donna.

Donna "Thanks"

Guy "I'm Markus, I'm taking you and the cheerleader."

They arrive in front of building that looks a bit like a warehouse.

Markus "So this it, I've got a spare key, but I'm going to have to go back to work, the boss is going to check up on me in half an hour." He puts their bags in the freight elevator and instructs them to go to the top floor, hands Jackie the keys and pulls Donna aside, "So can I look you up while you're here?"

Donna shrugs

Markus "Cool. See you cheerleader. Red."


	16. Clothing optional

Jackie "That was rude, what type of crappy joint is this?"

They get to the top floor, a large door blocks there way, upon opening the door they see a very simple but large room, windows all around.

Jackie "Wow, I mean, clearly needs a woman's touch, but this is the most potential I've seen since, Donna I think I like it more than my house, and I broke up with my husband over that place."

Donna rolls her eyes "You didn't break up with Fez over the house."

Jackie "Alright, I'm going to shower and get changed, I suggest you do the same, comfortable but fashionable shoes, we have a ton of shopping to do…" she says while walking around the place looking for the bathroom.

Donna "Can't we sit down for a little bit?" Jackie doesn't respond.

Jackie "You have to see this bathroom, come in here."

Donna and Jackie having changed in front of each other since teenagers. They aren't shy about being naked, so Jackie continues to get undressed, while Donna comes in to look at the bathroom.

Hyde comes home, under his breath "That was a waste of a perfectly good day, how do they expect me to open a record store when there's no backroom."

He walks into his bathroom, naked Jackie and Donna looking around. He turns a little red and says a rather calm "Hey. What going on?"

Jackie screams "Steven" and attempts to hide herself behind a transparent shower curtain. Donna looks around trying to find a towel, Hyde laughs.

Hyde "Can I join you guys?" taking out a towel from behind a hidden panel. "There's nothing there I haven't seen before."

Jackie red, grabs the towel. "You could still knock before coming in here."

Hyde "Knock on my own bathroom door? Seems a little unorthodox, plus if I had, who knows how long I'd have to wait, before I got see that tush again."

Donna "You guys want me to leave?"

Jackie "Donna! This is Steven's place? You didn't tell me that part."

Donna started to get a little pissed, she was tired and her great plot had started so badly "Well would you have come if I had?"

Jackie "Of course not. I'm never talking to you again"

Hyde "Do you want me to leave?"

Donna "Stay. Fine don't talk to me, but at least talk to Hyde."

Jackie "What could I have to say to Steven?"

Donna "I think you know,"

Jackie "I don't know what you're talking about."

Donna "You know what, I'm getting a little tired of your lies, you keep holding everything in, you pushed away Fez, you don't tell me anything, I have to figure it out on my own, and now you're planning on not telling him anything. Well you could claim it was personal to me, but what you've gone through should affect him."

Jackie "You're not any better than me, you pushed aside your own relationship so much you got a PhD, then you come out to California and instead of taking time for yourself and figuring out you are not much better than Eric and that your life is incomplete without him, you go from one unsatisfying job to another. You don't want to be an assistant professor, you want to be a writer. You always have, you probably even want 2.5 kids and house in the suburbs."

Donna "How the hell, do you know what I want?"

Jackie "Because the only thing holding you back is fear, you're afraid, that skinny little man of your dreams will up and leave you again. You spent three years with him, he supported everything you wanted so much, when it no longer occurred to you, you stopped having sex. How different has our relationship been than the one you had with him, you rejected him what? 7 times, and he still stuck around, what does he have to do to get your trust?" Jackie is panting from the outrage. She smiles.

Donna "When did you figure all this out." Laughs.

Jackie "Around the time I invited Eric to New York to be a man and take you back."

Donna "You did not,"

Jackie "I did."

Donna "When did Hyde leave?"

Jackie "Around the time you told him to stay. Donna I love you and I know why you invited me here, but I can't stay in his house. Now go, your skinny little man is probably planning some huge thing, stop him before he screws it up."

Donna "Where is he?" Jackie walks out and grabs her purse, hands Donna a little piece of paper.

Jackie to herself "I guess there goes shopping." And sat down on the couch.

Hyde behind her "I'll take you."

Jackie "Steven, I'm not sure…"

Hyde "I've known you were coming for a week, I've arranged a car, and even got a list of stores from the best dressed woman in New York."

Jackie "What woman?"

Hyde "Hey, hey, calm, your mother was in town, and she only had a half hour to spare, so I sent the best looking guy I have working for me to pick it up."

Jackie "That Markus guy?"

Hyde "You thought Markus was attractive?"

Jackie "What woman wouldn't, till he called me a cheerleader, after that forget it."

Hyde smiles "Not that I would mind spending the day with you in towel, maybe you should get dressed, I don't feel like hitting every pervert in New York."

Jackie "I still don't know, I just left Fez…"

Hyde "Oh I know, you had an argument in a salon, by the second day the news was in New York. Express Mail. A long letter from Fez, calling me every name he knows, convinced I told you he had an affair, he even came to New York, saying something about your honor. I told him he could have you."

Jackie "Steven!"

Hyde "hold on, after that he hit me. He said something about no matter what the truth was about his "affair", when you put all the guys at the same level, the only guy you could see was me. He said if I were any kind of man, I'd see that. Now if he's just full of shit, tell me and I'll leave you alone. But if there's any truth to it, Jackie. Please."

Jackie "Steven, no matter what I tell myself I feel, there's always a little part of me that knows I love you. But that doesn't change the fact I'm married, my work is in San Diego, and I can't even tell you the last part."

Hyde "Jackie look at me, I love you, your marriage is a few pieces of paper from over, and if you live in San Diego, then I'll live in San Diego, whatever else it is you want to tell me, you can tell."

Jackie: "Who are you? You aren't my Steven."

Jackie wakes up. "Damn"

She had fallen asleep on the couch. "I should have known it was a dream, the second he offered to take me shopping," she looked around her. There was clearly no one else there, but there was a throw covering her. "Hello?" Jackie walked up to the window, there were cabs outside, but she didn't really feel like leaving, she wasn't sure where she would go. But staying there would be worse. She gathered up her bags, and went out the door.


	17. Every classy place in town

Hyde returned home, he had only been gone a few minutes, he had left Jackie asleep on the couch, and planned to wake her up because he had bullied Markus into taking her shopping. Being the boss was nice, especial to people who were hard to crack, that much more fun. He walked in her bags were missing, "Jackie?" it was just like her to up and leave in a city she couldn't have been in since she was a little girl. He picked up the phone. "Hello Lizzy put down whatever you're doing and take out the yellow pages, alright start calling every classy hotel in town, you're looking for a Jackie Burkhart. Alright, is Tiny near you? Hand him the phone, I want you calling every classy store, same name, start with the stuff tourists have heard of. Oh and wherever you find her don't let her find out I'm looking. Call me and I'll go pick her up. Thanks. Well if another call comes in help them out, look I'll send Markus there, use him as you see fit."

Hyde went downstairs to find Markus, he was missing and so was the car. "He would pick today of all days to flake out on me."

When he went up the phone was ringing, "Hello. Markus, you dumbass, where are you? You took her shopping? Ha. Ok which store? What do you mean you lost her? Did you look in every department? Yes every department, god knows what she's buying. Go look and call me back once you see her."

The phone rang again. "Markus? Fez? Calm down man. I told you before I didn't do anything to Jackie. Man I can't understand what you're saying. But Fez." The phone on the other end hung up. "Just what I need the husband checking up on the wife after I lose her."

The phone rang once more. "Hello. Markus. You found her. Ok good, where are you man? What do you mean you can't tell me? Just who do you think you work for? What is a 95 lb woman going to do to you? Imagine what I'm going to do to you if you don't tell me where you are. Don't you dare hang up. (Markus hangs up) I have got to get away from these phone calls."

Hyde went into the kitchen, he had had the store deliver enough to feed a small army. Between the four of them they could consume a surprisingly large amount of food. He had been swearing under his breath all week that he'd be cooking more this week than he had in years. But a small part of him, probably some vile bit Mrs. Forman had install, noticed his shoulders felt lighter knowing so many friends were in New York, even if it was only for a few days.

Markus chased Jackie down the street, having put on one of the new outfits she had just bought, seemed to have recharged her batteries. Trying to seem cool while chasing down a little brunette cheerleader wasn't easy. Not to mention the number of times the grandfather's in front of the stores, which had received the honorary title of security guard in New York, kept stopping him. Fortunately she had a tendency to look back every time she exited a store, she had even rescued him once. All she did was smile at the old man, and that was it, no questions. Markus could leave. She'd make a pretty good mule he thought to himself and scoffed. She had reached the store and Markus was waiting by the entrance, they couldn't suspect of him stealing if he never entered the store, although he could be called a stalker.


	18. On the roof, not a great view

Donna knocks on a completely white door in a completely white hallway.

Donna "Leo?"

Leo "Hey man"

Donna "What are you doing here?"

Leo "I don't know man, oh wait, I live here. What are you doing here?"

Donna "I'm looking for Eric,"

Leo "Who's Eric, who are you?"

Eric "Who are any of us, Donna? (Laughs nervously) you're early."

Donna "I came to stop your silly little plans."

Eric "What plans I haven't made any plans."

Donna "Do you want to get out of here?'

Eric "Sure, see you Leo"

Leo "Yeah man"

They get in the elevator,

Eric "So, where are we going?"

Donna "Up."

They get out on the roof. It's not the greatest view.

Donna "I finally figured it out, of all people Jackie helped me, although she had no idea what she was talking about. I was scared, but not of commitment, and I wasn't scared of you leaving me again. I was scared of losing who I was again."

Eric "Donna, I…"

Donna "Let me finish. I was so scared of losing myself, I tried to make myself as independent as I could, I didn't want to give anything up so I strived for everything instead. Eric, I don't want to be your wife… (Holds his hand) but I do want you to be my equal partner in life. Eric (getting on her knees) will you marry me?"

The look of shock on Eric's face melts, he pulls her up and smiles. "No. no way (kisses her and shakes his head) there is no way I'm saying yes the first time."

She slaps her arm "Eric!"

Eric "Alright, I might agree, but there are conditions (huge smile) first…" he tries to wrestle her to the ground, and fails while she gets a hold on him. "Uncle, I call uncle. (both panting) fine I'll marry you." They jump on each other again. They're not fighting this time.

Eric "I can't believe we just that on the roof."

Donna "It's New York, people here have probably seen everything."

Leo in the background "Yeah man great view." Thumbs up.

Donna "Oh Jeez," they started collecting their clothes and covering themselves up as much as they could.


	19. Crowded Deli in NYC

Phone rings in the hotel room.

Jackie "Hello."

Receptionist "You have a call, Miss Burkhart. I'll connect you."

Jackie "Hello?"

Hyde "Do you have any idea how long I've been looking for you?"

Jackie "I don't answer to you."

Hyde "No. but you usually tell someone where you are. This is New York Jackie what if something had happened?"

Jackie "Alright, you're right I'm sorry, I should have tried to tell someone I where I was. But when I left your condo, I really, I had no idea where I was going. But I'm fine, you found me. Ok so let's just…"

Hyde "I still do want to spend some time with you."

Jackie "Well, maybe with can all go out, Eric is here as well."

Hyde "I know, he's crashing at Leo's, what are you doing tonight? Come here, 8, no arguments."

Jackie silent.

Hyde "Jackie are you nodding?"

Jackie "No, but I'll come, and I'll call Donna."

Hyde "Till then."

Jackie "Ciao."

Hyde rolls his eyes and hangs up. What was he getting himself into?

Jackie on the phone. "You owe me, if it weren't for me you wouldn't even be with Eric. It's just one night. How many do you think we're going to have all together? Donna why are you giggling? Eww. Ok ugh, I'll see you tonight."

Eric "You didn't agree did you?"

Donna "No, but it doesn't matter, Jackie thinks we're going, and I hate to admit, Jackie did help me, we wouldn't be here if it weren't for her."

Eric "The world is ending, Jackie is a force of good."

That night, at 9.

Donna "Hyde, I don't think she's coming."

Hyde under his breath "Not here anyway, (louder) I'll see you later."

Eric winks "Thanks man, see you."

Lunch at a crowded deli in New York,

Donna "So how was the audition?"

Jackie "Not bad, although, I'm not sure I want the job, I mean I'm not overly attached to California, but New York is complicated."

Donna "You mean Hyde's here. You know it's a pretty big city. You could live the rest of your life here and never run into him on the street."

Jackie "Yeah, but it's too soon, I just left Fez, and although I wanted to part as friends, he, he kicked me out of the salon, I don't know, he wasn't a bad husband not in the beginning. Maybe… maybe we could have made it work."

Donna "Jackie, it's going to take time. You may not have had an ideal marriage at the end, but it was still a part of your life. (thinks for a second) if Hyde wasn't here, how would you feel about New York?"

Jackie thinks "I don't know, if I get the job, I'll stay."

Donna "Well at least that's something."

Jackie "So did you take the job they were offering?"

Donna "Nah, I'm thinking of trying the colleges again, and I sent in a couple short stories to a few magazines. I don't know, if Eric can get a job at the local school district we may stay, although there is one other factor."

Jackie "Which is?"

Donna "I'm not ready to not see my best friend at least once a week."

Hyde walks into Leo's apartment. "Eric man, this is New York, you're going to have to learn to lock the front door."

Eric "I did, man this city gives me the creeps."

Hyde "Donna tells me you're staying." Smiling.

Eric "Yeah, I've got to do what the woman wants, you don't have to say it. I'm whipped, and I'm proud of it."

Hyde shakes his head "Ok I got to get to work, are you going to be alright here? Know how to get to the school?"

Eric "A couple subways."

Hyde "Want a ride?"

Eric "That'd be great."

Hyde "Wait here, I'll send Markus over."

Eric "One day that kid is going to get his revenge."

Hyde snickers "Probably."


	20. The boss isn't looking

Phones rings.

Markus "Hello."

Jackie "I got it."

Markus "That's great toots, wanna go celebrate?"

Jackie "I'd love to, pick me up?"

Markus "The second the boss isn't looking."

Jackie stumbles out of the elevator, she's laughing, she gets her key out and tries to open the door.

A significantly more sober Markus enters, "You dropped your purse again." He drops her purse and she bends down to pick it up. Markus takes advantage of this new found position and grabs her ass. "We have to stop meeting like this." Jackie giggles, she tries to straighten up, and he holds her down. "Stay. This is our last time this month before that ridiculous 4 am wake up call starts again." He hikes up her short skirt.

Jackie "Marky stop that, my head is spinning. I have to lie down."

Markus "You never let me have any fun, (straightens her up and fakes a frown) but if the bed is where you want to. I'm not going to object."

Jackie giggles again "Oh, my head really is spinning." Her legs collapse, she's fainted.

Markus "Again. Damn bitch keeps passing out." She would be complaining in the morning if he tried anything now. He had once before and by now he had to get her really drunk for her to allow him to go into the apartment. He took her clothes off, he could stare at her naked for a while at least. She shuddered, damn, she'd have another fit if she caught a cold.

He walked over to the dresser and opened the underwear drawer. Her nighty was missing, damn, she probably had a drawer full of them somewhere, but it was dark and going through every other drawer to find them. He looked back at her, there was something under her pillow the corner was sticking out. A large t-shirt, this must be her comfy sleepwear, whatever. He slipped it on her, she moved off her back and into one of those damn sleeping positions she had that baffled him. He tried to form her so he could hold her as she slept. It was so odd how much she liked to sleep on the edge of the bed. Damn bitch. He should do what he wanted with her and leave. But he knew better, by tomorrow he would be craving her again, and the way his damn boss worked him he couldn't get to her soon enough during the week, not that she let him do anything when she was sober. Damn bitch.

Jackie woke up the next morning, she looked around, damn Markus had weaseled his way into her bed again. The truth was she liked getting the attention, Donna was 'rediscovering herself as part of a unit.' God she was wordy. The headache she had seemed worse than the one she had the day before. She could hear her heart beat in her head. She walked into the master bathroom, the maid had learned to close the blinds in there Friday afternoons. She walked up to the mirror, what in the hell was she wearing? She heard her heart beating again. Wait, that wasn't her heart, it was the door. She went back through the house to the door, grabbing her sunglasses on the way, normally she wouldn't be in this part of the house for a few more hours, the curtains weren't kept drawn. Opened the door.

Eric "What is that some kind of joke?"

Jackie "Huh?"

Eric "You're dressed the way Hyde does. Oh shit you guys aren't screwing around behind our backs again, are you?"

Jackie "Huh? Steven? Huh?"

Eric had let himself in and was walking around the house. "Hyde man, Hyde, where are you? You are a dog for not telling, she's old news is she? Where are you man?"

Eric walks into the master bedroom and sees Markus. "What the hell? What the hell are you doing here? Nooo. (Points to Jackie) you're cheating on Hyde."

Jackie "Eric, what the hell are you doing here?"

Eric "I'm supposed to give you a ride"

Jackie "A ride?"

Eric "Kelso is in town, we're all going out for brunch. Donna left you a message on Friday. Hurry up I came early in case you weren't ready."

Jackie holds her head "I've got this killer hang over."

Eric "So you got drunk and Mark here took advantage, (turning towards a sleeping Markus and pointing) Hyde is going to kick your ass man. Come on take a shower and I'll make you a hangover remedy, did my fair share of drinking after Donna left." Shakes his "Bad times. Go. Hurry,"

Jackie grumbled but took his advice, all this partying was making her sick, and it would be good to see Michael again.

While the drink Eric made took care of some of the symptoms, she chased it with an aspirin, which took care of the rest. Eric sometimes drove a cab during the weekends 'to make ends meet' was the official story. But secretly Kitty had told everyone she knew that her son was trying to get enough money for a down payment on a house. He was probably the worst cab driver in New York, slow as could be, but he was loved by the little old ladies, they tipped him well, so he hung around a few spots waiting for the old ladies who sent him on errands. They stopped in front of Hyde's building.

Jackie "Oh, you've got to be kidding me."

Eric "I'm sorry Jackie, we wanted to use someone's place, so we knew what we were eating. My apartment is too small, we couldn't find you and that left Hyde's place, and since he's the best cook amongst us it seemed natural."

The condo was empty.

Eric "Where are they?"

Jackie "You're asking me."

There's a loud banging noise and Kelso appears in the window. He trips climbing in, but quickly gets up fixes up his clothes and rushes towards Jackie, he picks her up. They hug.

Jackie laughs "Michael put me down."

Kelso "You're getting bony."

Jackie "Is that anyway to greet a girl?"

Kelso finally letting go of Jackie. Nods his head up "hey Eric, everyone is on the roof."

They head to the fire escape. It's very feminine, potting plants, grape vines covering the 'dinning area' Christmas string lights and even candles.

Eric "Whoa, it's so girly." he faces Jackie and a smile grows.

Hyde "One of Leo's girlfriends was a Greek interior designer. She stuck around long enough to do the roof and one bathroom."

Eric looking at Jackie "So why did she do your place and not Leo's."

Hyde shrugs, "Leo likes to bring his girlfriends here, he says if he wakes up next to a girl and goes into his hallway he'll think they've put him in a hospital again"

Eric 'Tsk. Tsk."

They're all sitting down around the table.

Kelso "It's just like last year."

Jackie "Yeah only for a change how about you don't screw up your life at the end, huh, Eric."

Kelso "Burn"

Hyde "Nice one."

Eric "Don't talk too soon Miss Standish, or I'll tell Hyde about the nerd in your closet."

Jackie "Go ahead"

Eric "Wait… what?"

Kelso "I don't get it."

Jackie gets up, "I really enjoyed the breakfast, everyone who isn't Eric, but I think I'll take a cab home now." Hyde starts to stand up.

Kelso "Jackie, wait, can I come?" Hyde sits down.

Jackie "Michael…uh yeah. Ok."

In a cab

Kelso "You're the first girl who's ever really loved me, so I need your advice."

Jackie looks up at him.

Kelso "It's Brooke, she's getting married, at first I thought I didn't want to lose Betsy, but now I think I don't want to lose Brooke."

Jackie "Michael, I know. You're not the greatest at being loyal, and you're also not all that good at keeping secrets. I also know Brooke did love you, I don't know if things have changed for her, but I don't believe people can just wake up and no longer love someone. But Michael, as much as I love you, are you sure it would be better for her if she were to stay with you?"

Kelso "How can you say that? Jackie what happened? You believe in love, so much so you took me back, you took Hyde back, you stayed with Fez even though he was cheating."

Jackie "Times change, things happen you can't talk about and it changes you forever."

Kelso "Tell me"

Jackie "I can't. We're here." Gets out of the stopped cab, Kelso pays the driver and follows her.

The elevator ride consists of Kelso trying to look down Jackie's shirt and Jackie moving out of his view.


	21. breathe

They walk into the apartment Jackie notices Markus' coat is still on the couch.

Jackie "I just have to check something." Jackie walks into the master bedroom. Whispering "Markus, Markus." He doesn't answer, she figures he must have left.

Jackie "Ok, I'll make some tea, and we'll continue this talk."

Kelso "About that talk, I have a confession to make. I have to go pee."

Jackie rolls her eyes.

Kelso enters the bathroom "Oh shit! Jackie don't come in here."

Jackie "Michael are you alright, what happened?"

Kelso "I'm fine, but call 911." Markus is on the floor. Kelso yells at him "Wake up dude. Wake up!" Kelso sits him up, he put his hand to the guy's chest, he can't tell if he is breathing, he opens a drawer and takes out a mirror. Nothing. Kelso puts his ear to Markus' chest again, there is a heart beat. He pinches the guy's ears, nothing. He hold the guy's nose and started to give him mouth to mouth.

Jackie rushes to the phone, "Hello, we need help. I'm not sure he won't let me in, let me go check." She lets the phone dangle. "Michael what should I tell them?"

Kelso stops the mouth to mouth to tell her. "Guy on the floor, heartbeat, but he's not breathing." Breath. "Jackie this is not a time to freeze. Go." He had predicted her condition. Jackie forces her way back to the phone and repeated the words

Jackie sits on the floor, the tears won't come. Some time later it could have been minutes, it have been hours for all she knew there is a loud knock on the door.

"Paramedics."

Jackie opens the door and points, soon Kelso is standing next to her.

Kelso "Jackie let's go, we should follow them, you shouldn't see this."

But she had, when they had wheeled him out, his lips were blue, and he was the palest person she had ever seen. Every time she closed her eyes she saw him.

Kelso looks around the room, he saw the guy's jacket, he grabs it and checks for a wallet.

Kelso "Jackie, come back to me."

Jackie looks at him, barely understanding the words. She nods.

All they could do at the hospital is sit. And sit. And sit.

Hyde rushed in, he went up to the nurse behind the front desk.

"I'm here for Elliot Markus."

Nurse "Are you related to him?"

Hyde "I'm his brother."

Nurse "There's a waiting room, I'll have someone take you, the doctor should be in soon."


	22. Luck of the draw

Hyde walked into the waiting room, he saw Kelso sitting on a chair and Jackie spread across a few. He approached them.

Kelso "What are you doing here?"

Hyde "A friend of mine was brought in. You?"

Kelso "A friend of Jackie's ODed in the bathroom."

Hyde "Markus?"

Kelso "Yeah man. You know him?"

Hyde "I'm his emergency contact."

Jackie wakes up. "Steven?"

Hyde "I'm here."

Jackie "Where?"

She started to sit up, Hyde sat beside her and held her.

Jackie "Oh Steven. It was so… oh Steven."

Kelso "I didn't let her see him, but I think she caught a glimpse when the paramedics wheeled him out."

Jackie nodded on Hyde's shoulder.

Hyde "I'm sorry you had to see that, he had been clean for almost a year."

No one said anything for a while. Jackie sat in between Hyde and Kelso, Hyde had his hand around her.

Kelso "I'm going to get some coffee. You guys want anything else?"

Hyde shook his head. Jackie leaned onto Hyde's shoulder.

Hyde "I'm sorry, I didn't know you two were. If I had I would have told you."

Jackie "This isn't the time for this."

Markus' room.

Hyde is sleeping on the chair. Markus is awake, "Hyde man, what happened?"

Hyde wakes up "Oh hey man, how are you feeling."

Markus "Like crap"

Hyde "Good. I can't believe you did that. You were clean. You were fucking clean for so long."

Markus "It's that damn cheerleader man, she's driving me nuts."

Hyde "Don't you dare blame this on Jackie. She's not the one lying here, she would have found if it wasn't for a luck of the draw. You little piss-ant, if it had been her she wouldn't have known what to do. You'd be dead man. If Kelso wasn't a cop, this would have been the morgue."

Markus "You don't know what that bitch is like, she wont give it up unless she's drunk and even then she usually passes out. Frigid bitch. If it weren't for her I wouldn't be here."

Hyde clenched fist. "What do you have a death wish? I'm going to ignore that today, if you weren't in the hospital and my step brother you wouldn't even get that. After this, whatever we had is gone. You don't come anywhere near me, and you stay the hell away from her."

Markus smiling "You don't know that little cheerleader like I do, she drives you crazy, but she's just as addicted to me as I am to her. She come on all her own."

Hyde swaying in and out of Zen "You're wrong, I know her better than could hope to ever know her. She may feel for you, that's Jackie she can't help it. But don't count on that, you son of a bitch, and if I find out you're so much as watching the morning news, I'll take care of you myself."

Hyde walked towards the room door, then turned back he'd love to yank out the guy's catheter, but today was not the day for an assault charge. It apparently was a day to be angry at Jackie. Why the hell didn't she tell him? He would have done anything for her, she used to know that.


	23. artificial sweetner

Jackie returned to work the next day. The pleasantness of the morning news felt like artificial sweetener, but she would never want to anchor the nightly news. The truth was the first couple of minutes every morning she donned a false smile, but soon it became her own. Today, was a day she needed to smile. But every time they went to commercial, she said a silent prayer that Markus hadn't died, and Michael had been there to help him. And of course Steven had been to help her. Just like he always was except that one time when she had needed him most, he hadn't been. She hadn't been good enough for him since that day. She pushed the thoughts aside, she focused on smiling, she had to find her strength, Markus would need her help, she couldn't abandon him now.

Jackie walked outside the studio doors, normally she had lunch with Donna on Mondays, but she had already called to cancel, deaf to Donna's protest. She turned to get a cab and locked eyes with a beaming Kelso.

Kelso "It was so cool, I was in Time Square, and you were on the screen and you were like this big." (Extending his arms as far as they go.)

Jackie "What are you doing here, I thought you had a flight back to Chicago this morning?"

Kelso "I missed it, Brooke's mom is picking up Betsy after school, and I told my lieutenant I missed my flight, and he totally can't fire me cause I'm so good looking and the captain is lady cop." Kelso beamed "So I'm all yours and we're getting lunch, cause I'm starved."

Jackie "Actually I was thinking about going to the hospital to visit Markus. I called ahead, they told me he just woke up."

Kelso "I don't know Jackie, Donna and Hyde told me to take your mind off him, and seeing as how they can both kick my ass…"

Jackie "You don't have to come." She made her way to the curve and started trying to wave a cab.

Kelso "No, I'll come." He whistled and a couple cabs suddenly stopped.

Jackie approaching the front desk. "May I have Mr. Markus' room number?"

Nurse "311, but you can only go in there one at a time."

Jackie thanked her, and told Kelso she wouldn't be too long.

Nurse over the phone "Lizzy, someone finally asked about 311."

Lizzy "What did the person look like? Thank you Martha, if I get a bonus for this we'll go out and celebrate." She hung up and dialed another number. "Damn. Answering machine. I hope he isn't far. Mr. Hyde the little brunette just asked for Markus' room." She kept it short, he never listened to nicety anyhow, he would probably walk out the door before the message even finished.

Hyde got the message an hour later, when he called to check in with Lizzy. He was near the hospital, having just had his weekly lunch with Eric.

Markus' room, Jackie walked in, Markus laughed. "Hey cheerleader, I told him you would come, I told him I knew you better than he did, and that you were just as addicted to me as I am to you. Come over here and say hello."

Jackie looked confused "Who were you talking to?"

Markus laughed "You didn't figure it out huh? Hyde, he was acting all possessive, like he owned you or something. But come to me, feeling your skinny little ass would do me good around now."

Jackie paused. Somehow she knew she was in the wrong room. This wasn't who she was here to see. He wasn't apologizing, he didn't seem to be remorseful at all. "I can't stay. I should go."

Markus "Wait Jackie. Don't leave."

Jackie closed her eyes "My friend Michael is outside, I should spend some more time with him before he leaves." She turned around and blocked out his voice and forced herself into the hall.

Kelso "That was quick, I was waiting till that beauty queen over there was on her own, so I could ask her for a sponge bath."

Jackie "Come on Michael let's go. I don't really feel like staying here anymore."

Kelso "Ok. Let's go have lunch next door, I still want to talk to you."


	24. the roof, beautiful view

Jackie "Michael after all you've done to the girl, who knows how many things she doesn't even know about. Why do you think she would be better off with you? (softer) why do you deserve her?"

Kelso "Cause deep down she loves me, and I love her that used to be enough for you. Don't you remember you used to believe in Price Charmings, true love, and happily ever after. So Fez was the wrong frog, that doesn't mean the dream dies."

Jackie "This isn't about Fez and me, it's about Brooke and you."

Kelso shakes his head. "This has nothing to do with me or Brooke."

Jackie "What?"

Kelso "We're fine, I see Betsy every day after school, we take the dogs to the park while Brooke works. I'm thinking of asking her to move into me, although that will probably mean the dogs have to sleep outside."

Jackie "Why would you lie to me?"

Kelso "Donna was worried about you, and she talked to Brooke and Brooke told me to come here."

Jackie "I see Donna every week why wouldn't she..."

Kelso "They told me you were lost, so I told them to put up posters, like I did the time I lost Smelly, but then they told me you had lost yourself, and that was even more confusing. So anyhow they said I should talk about love and stuff. And I told them, you weren't going to marry me, so then Brooke wrote down what I was supposed to say and I had to memorize it."

Jackie "I can't believe you did that to me Michael."

Kelso "Auh!"

Hyde "Jackie"

They both turn to face him.

Hyde "He came from Chicago, ask him why."

Jackie looks at Michael.

Kelso "To see everyone?"

Hyde "He came for you."

Jackie looks back to Kelso who doesn't say anything.

Jackie "Well who asked him to?" she gets up to leave. Hyde holds onto her arm.

Hyde "Let's take a walk."

Jackie "Let go of me Steven."

Hyde "As long as you agree to talk to me."

Jackie "Fine. Let's go. (Hyde takes her hand and starts walking her out.) Michael I'm sorry. I'll try to talk to you later today."

Outside walking, Jackie "How did you find us?"

Hyde "The nurse behind the desk was keeping an eye on you, overheard you talking. Jackie what's going on? Donna shouldn't have to ask Brooke to send Kelso to get you to talk."

Jackie "Everyone is just over reacting, Markus ODed not me."

Hyde hailed a cab. "Get in."

Jackie "Where are we going?"

Hyde "Somewhere I can talk to you and watch you closely, if I watch you close enough I can read you pretty well."

Quite predictably, they ended up at Hyde's place. They walked into the condo and Jackie looked around for a place to sit.

Hyde "Not here, the roof."

They got up there, surrounding them was the same beautiful view as the day before.

Hyde "Sit."

Jackie sat but wouldn't look at him.

Hyde "I'm not Kelso, I'm not going to lie to you to try and figure you out. But I'll also not going to put up with lies and the incomplete truth. You had your chance with people who will take your bull. Now you're going to deal with me."

Jackie gave him the 'you dare talk to me like that' look.

Hyde "I knew you were in there somewhere. I know we have a history, but we've all been friends for so long that's sort of inevitable." He sighed. "I talked to Markus this morning when he woke up. The dumbass told me a lot more than he should have. Now I want to know why I had to be the one to tell him to get lost?"

Jackie crying a little tried to hold back the tears. "Every night, I tell him I'm not letting him come home with me. But somehow, after I'm drunk I let him in. He doesn't do anything to me in my sleep anymore, I managed to scare him off doing that."

Hyde "What Jackie on top of all that crap he raped you, (sort of going into his own space, pacing.) if he was right here, I'd wring that little cock-suckers neck till he became blue again, and there wouldn't be anyone giving him mouth to mouth, just me and him in room. I'm going back to hospital. (Stopped and turned towards Jackie) and you know there's a hell of a lot a guy can do to you, and you wouldn't have a clue. What was stopping him from forcing it."

Jackie "His addiction to me. He knew if he went too far, he wouldn't see me again."

Hyde "That's not good enough. Why didn't you come to me, or Donna, I can't believe I was in the same room with him and he got out without a scratch. Wait, you're better than this, why don't you know that?"

Jackie "You don't know anything, after all the things I've done to Fez and you, I don't really deserve anyone."

Hyde "That's bullshit. Fez wasn't there for you, and all you did was leave him, and the only thing you've done to me is make me think you were cheating, I'd hardly call that..."

Jackie whispering so low he barely hears her "I lost the greatest thing you ever gave me."

Hyde "There's nothing I gave you while we were together that had more than a sentimental value, but even you wouldn't be this upset over crap. This is what you haven't told me about. This is what Donna was screaming about the first day you came to New York. Isn't it? Ok well games up… fuck. 'The greatest thing I ever gave you.' I knocked you up, didn't I?"

Jackie looked shocked, and gave a light nod.

Hyde "Only you, would call my bastard 'the greatest thing I ever gave you' it wasn't a fucking present Jackie. It was unsafe sex, shit weren't you on the pill? You've always been on it."

Jackie shock her head, tears on her checks "Fez and I, we weren't, so I figured, why should I bother."

Hyde sat down and wiped her tears "Jacks, tell me what happened." She couldn't have had it, he saw her 4 months later, it must have been an abortion… or a miscarriage.

Jackie "I lost it, the doctor tried to tell me there was something wrong, I didn't really have any morning sickness, and…" she falls into his shoulder.

Hyde "Jackie, you can't change anything now. You can't punish yourself over crap like this. You should have told me sooner. When I found out about Markus I was really, well I was scared, you can't do this to me. Let me take care of you." He holds onto her.

She pulls away "Oh shit, I'm dreaming again."

Hyde "No you're not. Listen I know you don't want to be with me, but I need you near me. I can't sleep if I don't know you're ok anymore. Look at me, I own this building, I'm going to develop the bottom floor to the 10th store, I'll kick out the tenants who live just below me, and you can live there. Markus wont dare see you if he knows I'm nearby."

Jackie nods lightly, then looks like she's thinking, "No I can't. I'll hear you all day, every day, if you bring a girl up there, I'll hear that too. I can't do it."

Hyde smirks "Oh I'm like a priest, the last girl I was with was you. Before that it had been a couple of years. You don't have to worry about that."

Jackie smiles "You're kidding (Hyde doesn't say anything) oh my god, you're not. Steven what happened to you?"

Hyde shrugs "I never got over my last girlfriend."

Jackie looks determined "Do you forgive me?"

Hyde "For what?"

Jackie "Losing our baby."

Hyde "You're such a little girl sometimes, (she looks at him seriously) (sarcastically) Fine, I forgive you."

Jackie sighs. "Hold me Steven." As she gets on his lap. He has the same look on his face as the last time she did this. Jackie whispers "and never let me go." He holds onto her tighter. She loosens his grip and gazes at him deeply.

Hyde "What are you thinking about."

Jackie "We are just about the dumbest twenty-somethings ever."

Hyde "Well maybe you are, but I don't think I…"

She cuts him off by straddling him.

Jackie "Steven, with our history, this question may mean I finally take the crown from Kelso. But if I asked you…"

Hyde cuts her off. "One step at a time, will you stay the night?"

Jackie kisses him, she never answered the question.


	25. epilogue

June

Point Place, Wisconsin.

Eric "I can't believe I'm getting married tomorrow."

Hyde "Which reminds me, Kelso you got the kiddie cuffs?" Kelso pulls them out of his back pocket and dangles them. "On three."

Eric "Wait guys what do you think you're doing?"

Hyde "Three" Hyde and Kelso pounce. They hold down Eric and cuff him to one of the pipes in the basement.

Eric "What the hell?"

Jackie walks down "Did you get him, baby."

Kelso "Yup." Hyde frogs him.

Eric "Oh I should have known it was the dark temptress"

Jackie "We couldn't risk a repeat of the last few times."

Kelso laughing at Eric "So Jackie asks us to keep you here. Then I said we should cuff you, and Hyde said we should use lady cuffs, cause of your delicate little wrists you would get out of the normal ones. It's like the best pre-wedding burn ever. Burn."

Eric "What about my bachelor party?"

Hyde "We've give you our fair share of bachelor parties, especially seeing as how you've never actually gotten married. Eh Fez is coming over later with videos."

Fez "Fez is here, (coming out of the backroom) my friend do not fear, and I have brought Molly with me." (He holds up several post 1986 Molly Ringwald movies)

Kelso "Yeah, I'm going to spend the night with Betsy, she has a 'hot date' so I've got to go check this punk out."

Eric "Kelso she's 11, how hot can this date be."

Kelso "Well Jackie let me play doctor when she was younger than that."

Hyde frogs him "That's my pregnant wife you're talking about."

Kelso smiles, "Yeah."

Jackie frogs him

Kelso "Ow, Jackie that hurt,"

Jackie smiles proudly "I'm carrying another boy."

Hyde beams "Never mess with a Hyde, not even one in the womb. (turning towards Jackie) So how did our little tyrant do?" Kissing her lightly on the lips a few times.

Jackie "He's smart as his daddy, three years old and he locked Donna in the closet all on his own."

Eric whispers "Evil spawn."

Kelso "I've got to get going." He leaves through the basement door.

Jackie goes back up the stairs.

Hyde turns towards Eric "Have fun with Miss Standish."

Eric "You guys could have at least locked Donna in down here."

Hyde "And let the you live the naughty principal spanking you fantasy, I don't think so Forman. Think of it this way, Fez's girlfriend is coming over after her shift, you can watch him for a change."

Fez looks back at Eric and grins. "Oh yes, how dirty. You can watch me please her."

Hyde snickers and goes the way of his wife.

"The bride and groom wished me to express words of wisdom for the service today. However quite a few guests asked I try and get through this ceremony as quickly as possible. So let us begin, hold onto your hats folks this will be pretty slick. We are gathered today, friends and family to finally unify this woman with this man. Are there any who oppose? Good. Let's press on."

Casey from the back "Wait. I can't let you do this, I can't stand by while someone I love is married. (Casey approaches the couple and kneels in front of them, holding a begging position.) Please before you do this, look into my eyes and try to deny me. (Everyone looks shocked.) Foreplay, I love you." (Hyde, Jackie, Fez, Kelso, and Laurie crack up.)

Casey with a huge grin gets up. "Sorry man, I lost the pool, (pats Eric on the shoulder) go ahead padre." Casey walks back to his seat.

Kelso "Now that was a good burn." The rest of the gang hold back tears from laughing till they each met eyes with Kitty, and stop one at a time.

Pastor Ted. "Anyone else? Not including you two (pointing to Eric and Donna.) Let's go. Today. Tomorrow. And forever. Do you?"

Eric "I do."

Pastor "Ring her." Hyde holds out the rings, Eric takes it from him, he hands her, his but drops hers, he catches it with his knee by pressing onto her legs.

Jackie "What do you think you are a perverted flamingo? Let it fall."

Eric moves his knee, but no one can see the ring. They all start looking around.

Eric "This is a sign."

Hyde "That you're a butterfingers."

Kelso spots it. "I got it. Donna don't move." He holds her thigh in place and tries to pry the ring from the lace of her dress.

Donna "uh, Kelso. You don't actually need to hold me in place. I won't move."

Kelso "Do you want to get married or not?"

Jackie "Don't answer that question."

Kelso "Ok here you go." He hands it to Eric, Eric slips it on her finger and holds her hands. They stare at each other.

Pastor "Do you?"

Donna "I… I .."

Jackie whispers "say 'do'."

Donna "Do." She seems to come back. She puts on his ring.

Bob "Wahoo!"

Pastor "By the power vested in me by God, you are married."

Donna clears her throat.

Pastor "Oh yes, you may kiss the groom."

Eric looks at him confused, the pastor shrugs and point to Donna. Eric looks at her and she kisses him on the nose.

Quite a few people roll their eyes.

Hyde "Be a man and kiss your wife already."

They kiss, properly.

Bob "Wahoo!"


End file.
